Reid calls House 'untoward' for taking weekend off

From NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell and Libby Leist:This morning on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid publically vented his clear frustration with House Republicans over the ongoing debt ceiling negotiations. “Let me get this off my chest,” he said, calling it “untoward” that the House is not in session this weekend.

He warned Congress has "days, not weeks" to get this done.

He complained that the Senate is in a holding pattern, waiting for action from the House. “I think it is just untoward,” said Reid. “That's the kindest word I can say to the House of Representatives, out this weekend … what a bad picture that shows to the country.”

He continued, "… Time is of the essence. We are running out of time, procedurally things can't move very quickly through the Senate - under the best circumstances and when there are people who want to cause problems it takes a long time to get things done."

Reid also criticized Tea Party involvement in the negotiations, calling those lawmakers the “loudest, shrillest voices in the Republican Party.”

As for the “cut, cap and balance” bill which passed the House, Reid insisted it “doesn't have one chance in a million of passing the Senate"